DHL Express is investing $80 million in Latin America and the Caribbean this year, deepening itsnational networks in 16 main countries and expanding the international terminal at Panama.
The Deutsche Post subsidiary’s Florida-based Americas division, which also includes Canada,is forecasting 15-20% growth in the region for 2007 compared to 2006, with business from thehi-tech, pharmaceutical, automotive and textile sectors expected to grow strongly.
Roger Crook, CEO DHL Express International Americas, is quoted in the Brazilian press assaying $5 million of the investment will be spent on enlarging DHL’s Panama terminal. He wasattending a meeting of DHL Express Americas executives in Rio de Janeiro in late February.
DHL will be building 15 new express centres in Brazil this year, DHL Express Brazil presidentJoakim Thrane told the Valor Económico newspaper. It is also studying the possibility of launchingdirect flights between Brazil and China. Currently, DHL ships Chinese exports to Brazil via Europeor the USA.
The company is also expanding in Colombia, where its sales grew by over 20% last year, andwill invest $15 million expanding its operations there between now and 2011. DHL claims expressleadership in Colombia with 60% of the parcels market.
Last year, DHL extended its online Import Express service in the region, offering one-stophandling of documents, parcels and larger items, and a B2B door-to-door delivery service for urgentdocuments and parcels covering 150 towns and cities across Argentina.
In Mexico, where it handles 65,000 packages a day, the company invested nearly $10 million,including an upgrade of its main operations centre in Mexico City.
